They’re young, but they’re no rookies: More kids in Singapore playing chess competitively
SINGAPORE: A chess game may seem still and silent from the outside, but when nine-year-old Alesa Wong is battling an opponent for control of the board, her mind fills with “blasting colours”.
“There are a lot of noises inside a chess player’s mind, just that nobody can hear it,” the junior chess player told CNA. “It’s extremely exciting, and my heartbeat races when I know I’ve made a brilliant move.”
Alesa, who started playing chess when she was seven, is part of a newly established national training programme for young chess whizzes.
In the past months, the influx of young minds to Singapore’s chess community has become more noticeable.
A record 1,365 players competed in the 74th National Schools Individual Chess Championship in March. There could have been more, but some would-be competitors were turned away as the venue was not big enough.
Then in April, the Singapore Chess Federation launched the national training programme to nurture the country’s next generations of chess talent.
The programme comprises an under-10 squad with 14 members and an under-14 squad with 18 members. The youngest of the entire bunch is six-year-old Lucas John Wee.
Fidgety young Lucas becomes serious and focused when he is playing chess – a part of his personality that his family usually does not get to see, his mother said.
When asked why he enjoys playing chess, Lucas said simply: “I get to relax.”
That may be surprising to hear considering he trains for 10 hours a week. Other children in the squad can spend up to 16 hours a week on chess, with thrice-weekly sessions under the national training programme, one-to-one private coaching and self-study.
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Over 1m Chinese visitors since January, TAT says
Over 1 million Chinese tourists have visited since the start of the year, reflecting the growing confidence among Chinese visitors in the nation’s tourism industry in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government says.
In response to the growing number of visitors from China, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked state agencies to ensure traveller safety, and work harder to maintain the reputation of the tourism industry, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.
“This success is due to the hard work of all agencies involved in the country’s efforts to regain the trust of international tourists and our status as one of the world’s most popular tourism destination,” he said.
Separately, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), along with the Royal Thai Police, has launched a campaign dubbed “Trust Thailand, You Taiguo Yue Wan Yue Kaixin”.
Under the campaign, 60 Chinese opinion leaders, members of the press, airlines and related businesses will be invited to visit the kingdom to further promote Thailand as a premier destination.
According to the TAT, Thailand has a good chance of reaching its goal of welcoming about five million Chinese tourists this year, which could bring in about 446 billion baht in revenue.
As part of the campaign, the Tourist Police Bureau plans to promote the 1155 hotline and the I Lert U application, if tourists need assistance.
According to the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, between October and April, 12,805 flights operated between China and Thailand, a 98% increase when compared to the same period last year. The number is expected to grow to 46,175 by the end of September.
Govt marks twin Thai export feats
The United States will begin importing Thai pomelos next month while Australia has given the green light to import cooked duck from the kingdom after years of negotiation, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Rapeepat Chantarasriwong, director-general of the Department of Agriculture, said the US has for the first time approved the import of irradiated fresh pomelos from Thailand without any restriction on strains. The flavour and colour of Thai pomelos would impress American consumers, he said.
Pomelo is the eighth Thai fruit to win import approval from the US. The country previously endorsed the import of Thai mango, mangosteen, rambutan, longan, lychee, pineapple and dragon fruit.
Currently, Thailand can export fresh pomelos to 30 countries, with China and Malaysia as primary markets. Last year, Thailand exported about 1 million tonnes of pomelos worth about 45 million baht. The first lot of Thai pomelos to the US is expected to be delivered by air next month. The US requires Thai pomelos to meet Good Agricultural Practice and Good Manufacturing Practices standards.
Meanwhile, Prayoon Insakul, permanent secretary for agriculture and cooperatives, said Australia also agreed to import cooked duck from Thailand after seven years of negotiation. The approval from Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry took effect on May 16. Mr Prayoon expects Thailand to start exporting cooked duck to Australia next month. The exports would initially be about 1,200tn worth about 400 million baht, he said.
64-year-old bleeds out in hospital
An investigation is underway after a 64-year-old man bled to his death at a hospital in Sing Buri after getting 12 of his teeth pulled out, says the Thai Dental Council.
After learning of the case from media reports, the council decided to seek information from experts at the Royal College of Dental Surgeons, as well as the hospital. The probe should establish the actual cause of death, the council said. It also urged the public to respect the privacy of the man’s relatives.
The man, identified only as Somsak, was admitted to the hospital with sepsis, or blood poisoning, which doctors believe was caused by the patient’s severe periodontal disease.
As a result, they decided to extract the infected teeth, hoping to eliminate the infection at its source.
The man’s daughter, Chanthana Khumkrong, a resident of Bang Rachan district, said her father was admitted on May 12 for cirrhosis treatment, but on May 15, they were told her father was suffering from sepsis and needed to be put on a course of medication until May 28.
On May 23, she was told that her father had 12 decayed teeth that needed to be removed. The first seven teeth were removed that day and the other five on the following day, when her father began bleeding profusely and died.
His body was moved from the hospital on May 25 to Wat Sadao temple in Bang Rachan district for funeral rites.
Chadchart urges review of land tax
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is calling on the incoming government to review the new land and building tax rules as Bangkok’s revenues have dropped significantly since the new rates were put in place earlier this year.
Prior to the implementation of the new rates, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration set the land and building tax rate at 12.5% of the income generated by a plot of land. Under the new rules, however, the tax is calculated based on the value of the plot alone.
As a result, Mr Chadchart said, BMA’s revenues have fallen significantly. For instance, BMA used to collect about 300 million baht from landowners in Phaya Thai district, but since the new rates took effect earlier this year, the amount has dropped to about 200 million baht.
“Similarly, the owner of a department store in Phaya Thai district now only pays 1.08 million baht — down from 10.7 million baht. One owner of an office building in the district now pays three million baht in land tax, as opposed to 11.49 million baht, because the tax is calculated solely on land value, not rental earnings,” he said, without naming names.
He went on to cite the example of another landowner, who used to pay around 4.35 million baht in land and building tax but was only charged 76,800 baht this year due to changes in the way the dues are calculated.
The governor also noted that tax collection in urban industrial areas has dropped as a result, while homeowners living in residential zones in the suburbs have to contend with a higher rate.
“People who own land plots with houses have had to pay more taxes, even though they earned nothing from their plot this year,” said Mr Chadchart.
“It was hoped that the new structure would solve the social inequality, but it didn’t.”
Mr Chadchart urged the incoming government to initiate a review of the tax structure, saying it will help reduce inequality. He didn’t say how much the BMA’s revenues stand to be hit long-term if the changes stay in place.
MFP begins push to decentralise
The Move Forward Party (MFP) has sent a letter inviting the Association of Provincial Administrative Organisations for talks on decentralisation of power this Thursday.
In the letter signed by leader Pita Limjaroenrat, the party said decentralisation to ensure that local administrative bodies can deliver public services more efficiently is one of the MFP’s priorities.
The party plans to begin the process as soon as its alliance succeeds in forming a government and it is already seeking input from the provincial administrative organisations to drive the policy forward, said the letter.
Associations have been asked to send representatives to the talk on Thursday at the National Municipal Association of Thailand in Bangkok.
Boonchu Chansuwan, chairman of the PAO association, yesterday welcomed the MFP-led bloc’s plans which include elections of provincial governors.
One of the 23 items in the memorandum signed by the eight parties was an agreement to strive for decentralisation of power and budget allocations to enable local bodies to respond to the needs of their communities better.
The MFP policy includes elections of provincial governors, scrapping the so-called regional administration system, fair allocation of budget and public scrutiny of local organisations.
Meanwhile, Mr Pita yesterday vowed to tackle “highway sticker bribes” in a post accompanying a photo of him holding talks with the land transport association on corruption.
He said MFP list-MP-designate Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn will spearhead a campaign to stamp out corruption.
“Highway sticker bribes” involve transport companies paying authorities to turn a blind eye to trucks carrying loads beyond the legal limit.
The stickers on the vehicles prove payment at checkpoints along the routes.
Wanted ‘scammer’ arrested by police
A 55-year-old woman who was wanted in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme was arrested yesterday after nine months on the run, police said.
Pimpicha Suthornsupisal, accused of swindling people out of millions of baht, was arrested in the carpark of a dorm in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district.
Ms Pimpicha and By Smart Plus Co ran an investment scheme during 2021-2022 in which investors were promised a return of 25% and additional profits for recruiting new investors.
According to police, some investors received the promised returns until February last year, when the payouts stopped. Police said there were about 70 victims and damage was estimated at 30 million baht.
Ms Pimpicha was charged with colluding to defraud and inputting false information into a computer system.
Pressure builds on Pheu Thai
Secret talks to ditch MFP, says Chuvit
A group of Pheu Thai supporters is calling for the party to break away from the Move Forward Party (MFP) over an internal rift regarding the House speaker post.
The group, however, still supports Pheu Thai’s promise to vote for MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat as the next prime minister and allow the MFP to lead the formation of a new coalition, said Niyom Nopparat, a leader of the group.
It also calls on Pheu Thai to support the MFP-led attempt to rewrite the constitution for the people, he said.
Several group members gathered outside the headquarters of Pheu Thai in Bangkok yesterday and submitted an open letter containing these calls to the party.
If the MFP fails to gather enough MPs to form a new coalition government, the group believes Pheu Thai, which won the second-highest number of House seats after the MFP, should have the right to lead the formation of a new coalition, Mr Niyom said.
The group aims to make the MFP realise that it will be difficult to form a government without Pheu Thai by its side, he said. “We wish the MFP success in its attempt to form a coalition and urge Pheu Thai to support the MFP and all other coalition parties by voting for Mr Pita to become the prime minister,” he said.
He insisted the group’s motive wasn’t a political game or an attempt to generate more conflict between Pheu Thai and MFP.
An internal conflict in the group of eight parties that agreed to form a government together stems from attempts by a group of people who spread distorted information against Pheu Thai, he said.
Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a key figure who serves as deputy secretary-general of Pheu Thai’s committee on political strategies, received the open letter from the group and promised to relay the calls to the party’s executives for consideration.
“In a democracy, differences of opinions are perfectly fine as long as they are constructive and straightforward, not ones that distort to devalue or accuse someone like us, Pheu Thai,” Mr Anusorn said.
Meanwhile, whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit posted on his Facebook page about what he described as “a new secret deal without the MFP”.
According to Mr Chuvit, secret negotiations have been conducted to make the MFP an opposition party when it fails to gather more than half of the House seats required to form a government.
Pheu Thai, Bhumjaithai Party, Palang Pracharath Party, Democrat Party and Charthaipattana Party will then form a coalition instead under a secret deal called “come home”, a reference to the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is waiting in Singapore, he said.
Mr Chuvit refused to name those engaged in the alleged negotiations. “I think I smell something rotten, like fake democracy,” he said.
Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said the party will consider the group’s calls, especially their suggestion for Pheu Thai to leave the MFP-led alliance.
In this situation, to have a democratic government is more important than anything else, he said, adding while differences in opinions among parties attempting to form a government could still be reconciled to achieve the ultimate goal.
“Pheu Thai does listen to opinions from all sides, especially those who support the party,” he said.
He denied rumours that Pheu Thai was offered the energy minister position in exchange for the House speaker post, saying the party has yet to begin formal discussions on the allocation of cabinet portfolios.
A meeting of the coalition parties has been called for tomorrow to deal mainly with the cabinet minister quota each coalition party will be entitled to receive, said a source.
MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said he believed there would be enough time left after tomorrow’s meeting for informal talks with the coalition parties on the House speaker post.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) will today start a probe into whether Mr Pita was eligible to run in the election, due to his ownership of shares in a media company.
Cops seize Chinese suspect’s passport as probe widens
Gegee’s request to travel to HK declined
Police will impose a travel ban on a Chinese journalist under fire for exploiting her working relationship with police to demand a bribe from a suspect.
She will be banned from leaving the country, while police expand the investigation to find more evidence.
The woman, identified as Guo Rui, alias Gegee, was nabbed by police at a department store on Friday for allegedly exploiting the working relationship with national deputy police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn to demand bribes from a key suspect in a crime syndicate probe.
Guo allegedly told Navaporn Phakiatsakul, who was involved in the shady businesses, that she could have charges against her dropped for 33 million baht, of which she paid an initial 14 million baht.
Pol Gen Surachate yesterday said Guo denied the charge and she was temporarily released on bail for 3.5 million baht.
He said he knew the journalist from work and she was employed by the police as a coordinator due to her fluency in the Chinese language and overseas connections.
Guo has been prevented from leaving the country for the time being and police have seized her passport.
She had asked to fly to Hong Kong for a meeting, but her request was denied due to her status as a suspect, said Pol Gen Surachate.
Police have discussed the situation with the Chinese Embassy and diplomats, he added.
Pol Gen Surachate said he will take legal action against Guo for using his name to demand bribes, adding that any officers under his command found to have committed such offences will not escape prosecution either.
Investigators have strong evidence against Guo, including witnesses to the offences and had been tracking her for some time, he said.
Pol Gen Surachate urged anyone offered cash by Guo to file a complaint.
Police will also take legal action against the suspect’s husband who was found involved with the case.
Guo, although a Chinese national, had legally obtained Thai citizenship after studying and working in Thailand for most of her life.